I Love To Give Things Away

Because of the quantity of time I spend shopping for trash, I usually come home with more then I need. This used to be a problem.

Not only did I keep more in my home then I needed, but I gave too much stuff away. For example, I’d see something great at a garage sale. I didn’t need it, but I knew someone who did.

A new neighbor in need of furniture and I’d find a kitchen table for a great deal at a yard sale, a pregnant friend and I’d hit a sale where a couple was cleaning out all their baby stuff or how about my sister in love with Nelly Furtado and I found a pair of Apple Bottom jeans at Goodwill.

I had to buy it all!

My friend loves gardening. It's only $1.00. I have to get her this.

In theory this is really sweet, but week after week it added up. I was spending too much time shopping and giving things away like there was a birthday party around every corner.

I had to face the truth.

I love to shop.

I love to give things away.

If I saw a professional, I’d probably be diagnosed with shop-a-holic/give-away disorder.

Thankfully for me, I found the answer.

I get to shop all I want as long as I sell it on Craig’s list or EBay.

This works great for my somewhat strange and misunderstood personal illness.

What’s fun is I get to experiment with some of my purchases before selling them.

This $5.00 purchase from Salvation Army was used for a short time in the boy's room before I sold it for $45.00.

This $1.00 mirror from Goodwill was displayed in my living room for several years. I recently sold it for $50.00.

I just found this buffet table for $40.00 at an estate sale (this is a picture I took at the sale before I purchased it). It's still sitting in my garage, but I think I'll use it in my kitchen for a while. If I don't like it, you know what I'll do with it.

These chairs – all trash and all used in my home for a short time before selling them for a profit.

My kids loved this chair.

We used it for movie night. The three oldest boys cuddled up on it with a bowl of popcorn. I paid $32.00 for it at Goodwill and sold it the next week for $95.00.

I really liked this vintage chair. I paid $20.00 for it at Goodwill. I went back and forth between wanting to keep and wanting to know how much I could get for it.

After several months of having it in my living room, I decided to sell it along with this $7.00 retro end table. They sold as a set for $95.00.

A few weeks ago, I found this chair and ottoman at Goodwill on half-off day for $15.00.

I brought the set home and my fingers started itching. I paced up and down the hallway. The chair was like money burning a whole in my pocket.

I had to know what I could get for it on Craig’s list, but my kids were already begging.

“Please Mom. We love this chair. Can we keep it?”

My children will probably have attachment issues because of my inability to hold onto a piece of beautiful furniture.

Several weeks later, the chair is still here. I think I’ll keep it for a while. It looks great in my living room, especially with the rug I'm desperate to give away.

I still give plenty of things away. Last week I went school shopping on Goodwill’s $1.00 day for a darling friend of our family. Here she is with Eden in one of her new outfits.

She went home with two huge garbage bags full of clothing and a smile on her face.